Mysteries Within the Shadows
by Bishonen no Hime
Summary: New Summary! InuYasha and Sesshoumaru discover that their mothers where killed in similar ways. Can they put aside pride and hatred to discover the reason and person behind it? Spoilers and more spoilers! DISCONTINUED!
1. Part 1

Disclaimer: Don't own or claim to own any characters from InuYasha. Please don't sue; I need what little money I have to buy more InuYasha.  
  
Please, please, please, please PLEASE REVIEW!  
  
Mysteries within the Shadows: Part 1  
  
He bolted upright into a sitting position, his consciousness fully pulling itself out of sleep's grip. His right hand rested itself against his rapidly rising and falling chest, trying to calm his breathing. His sleep-rumpled mane of snow-white hair fell wildly onto his shoulders and in his ember eyes. After his ragged breathing had subsided, he brushed the arrogant strands away from his face. His eyes narrowed as his mind focus on the nightmare. 'No.' he thought, 'that was no nightmare.' He glanced toward the dieing fire, watching the embers glow in the darkness. The demon sighed and leaned back against the base of the tree he had been sleeping against.  
  
1 'Memories…'  
  
Images that he had seen in his dream flashed across his mind's eye. Blood, death, pain and anguish. Feelings and memories that he had buried within himself were resurfacing. 'Why now?' he mused. He shifted his golden gaze upward, staring at the stars and the moon. 'Why any of it?' he wondered ruefully. The demon sighed again and closed his eyes. 'Why had I been the one to find her? Why did I have to see her bleeding her life's blood onto the ground in the palace gardens? 'Why did I see all of the cuts and slashes and burns? Why did I have to watch as the poison finished it's job, almost literally melting her from the inside out?'  
  
The Demon Lord of the Western Lands looked again up to the crescent moon in the sky.  
  
"Mother…"  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
He eyes snapped open as his body violently lifted itself upwards to sit cross-legged on the branch. He tried to run a hand through his pure white hair only to find out that it had snagged itself several times on the tree bark as he had slept. Cursing silently, the hanyou pulled his hand free and let it fall to his side. He took a deep breath, trying to calm the rapid beating of his heart. He buried his face in his hands as his mind recalled the nightmare.  
  
He could distinctly remember the horror and pain that had ripped through his chest that day. The day that…  
  
The images of her body, broken and twisted, lying on the ground. The heavy scent of blood that permeated the air around her. The large pool of her blood underneath her body. 'So many.' There had been so many gashes and cuts all over her, too many and too deep to repair. And the putrid stench of some toxin that wormed it's way through her body, destroying as it went. And he had watched. A small boy that could do nothing but scream her name until she had gone still and silent.  
  
The hanyou's ember eyes locked on the fire, searching its depths and wondering why when a word escaped his lips unbidden.  
  
"Mother…"  
  
  
  
AN: Gomen! I know it's short but I think that it is best to stop it here for now. Notice the similarities? That is the basis for the plot. I dunno exactly where this will go but we'll see wont we?  
  
Anyway, for those who don't know:  
  
Hanyou – half demon/half human  
  
Gomen – sorry  
  
Please, please, please, please PLEASE REVIEW! IF I DON'T KNOW THAT PEOPLE LIKE IT I WONT WRITE MORE! SO PLEASE REVIEW. 


	2. Part 2

Disclaimer: I wish I owned Fluffy but I don't… I don't own anyone from InuYasha. **sigh**  
  
P.S. Pretend that Fluffly's arm has grown back okay?  
  
Mysteries Within the Shadows – Part 2  
  
Sesshoumaru watched Rin playing in the field before him from his shaded refuge underneath a large cherry tree. The little girl giggled happily when a butterfly fluttered by and again as she made chase. Sesshoumaru shifted his gaze away from the laughing child to take in his surroundings. A warm, gentle breeze swept across the field, whipping his long, white mane around him. With it, the breeze brought the delicate scents of the newly bloomed flowers that blanketed the ground. Sesshoumaru breathed in the soothing scent deeply until he was dismayed to realize that the honeysuckle was weaved in with the others. His mother had smelled of honeysuckles.  
  
'Damn it!' he snarled inwardly. 'What is with this lately?'  
  
He had been having that dream every night for the past week and a half. And with every passing night it became worse. He would wake up not an hour after having fallen asleep and not be able to return to sleep until the next night. And it kept happening over and over again. Jaken knew something was amiss; Sesshoumaru had been more irritable and impatient as of late. Sesshoumaru's ever-lasting patience for Rin and Jaken's constant bickering had virtually disappeared and he had already snapped at them several times. This was how Sesshoumaru had found himself giving them more rests and stops during the day. They gave Rin and Jaken time away from each other, and Sesshoumaru time away from them. Sesshoumaru didn't think that Rin had any real idea what was going on. She would look at him for a moment, shrug her small shoulders and turn back to her flowers.  
  
Sesshoumaru made sure that his exterior maintained it's cold and calm demeanor, but inside was a ragging battle between the feelings that surrounded his mother's death and his usual self that was trying to lock those feelings back into the place that they had escaped from. All in all it was really beginning to upset him. 'I will NOT let my emotions get the best of me!' he yelled internally. Sesshoumaru could have sworn that something had laughed back at him.  
  
"I really need to kill something," he mumbled under his breath.  
  
Suddenly the breeze came again, but this time it brought a new scent with it. Six new scents to be exact.  
  
Sesshoumaru couldn't help the almost feral smile that crossed his lips.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"What on earth is wrong with you InuYasha?" Kagome yelled at the said demon that was currently walking away from her.  
  
"Nothing's wrong with me you stupid girl! Now will you leave me the hell alone damn it!"  
  
Sango sighed heavily as the two continued to bicker. This had been building up for days. InuYasha had gone from annoying to down right close to being an ass hole. Something was bothering him, everyone could tell. But he continued to insist that everything was fine. Beside her, Miroku sighed as well, there was nothing that they could do until InuYasha and Kagome worked this out. 'I wonder what he's thinking.' Sango thought as she glanced suspiciously out of the corner of her eye. He had his hands tucked in the volumes of his sleeves and appeared to be in deep thought. 'Hmmm, very suspicious…' she thought to herself. Suddenly Kagome's voice broke through her train of thoughts.  
  
"You are sooo selfish InuYasha! How are we supposed to help you if you won't tell us what's wrong?"  
  
"Who said that I needed or wanted your or anyone else's help! Like I would ever need help from a human anyway!" He roared back. Kagome had been about to say the "S" would but a new voice interrupted her.  
  
"Why InuYasha, there may be hope for you yet…"  
  
Everyone whirled to the direction that the new voice had originated from. From underneath the dark canopy of the new green leaves emerged Sesshoumaru. His long white hair catching slightly in the breeze, his expression was one that would almost be called amusement.  
  
"Sesshoumaru! What the hell do you want? Tetsusaiga?" InuYasha yelled at his half brother, drawing the sword from its sheath.  
  
"Actually no. But you will need it." All amusement had left the demon's face and voice as he walked forward. "I needed something to kill and you arrived exactly on time." He drawled out slowly as he flexed his claws, popping the knuckles.  
  
"Fine. If you want another lesson, you shall have it."  
  
Sesshoumaru didn't let InuYasha finish before he started forward. He closed the gap between them as InuYasha finished, his right had enveloped in eerie green wisps of poison. InuYasha barely managed to get Tetsusaiga up in time to block, but the force of the blow still drove him back. InuYasha blocked with the sword again as Sesshoumaru's whip lashed at him. It forced him back as well, putting more and more distance between them. When a brief pause in Sesshoumaru's attack occurred, InuYasha quickly raised the Tetsusaiga over his head.  
  
"Kaze no Kizu." Kagome mumbled to herself as she and the others watched from a safe distance. 'There's no way Sesshoumaru can dodge it.' She thought confidently.  
  
'The whelp is going to use the Kaze no Kizu on me again, huh.' Sesshoumaru wondered. 'If I go now before he brings the blade down…' Sesshoumaru rushed forward.  
  
"He's running towards it?!?!" Kagome and Sango exclaimed in unison.  
  
1 "InuYasha did the same to him." Miroku interjected. "In their second fight, when InuYasha had told Shippo and I to get you out, Kagome-sama. You had been unconscious from when Sesshoumaru had swung the Tetsusaiga at you. He had run into the attack and managed to get through before it hit full force to allow us to escape. Sesshoumaru is now using it on him."  
  
2  
  
3 "InuYasha…" Kagome whispered quietly.  
  
4  
  
5 That was when they felt it. Sesshoumaru was maybe ten feet from InuYasha, his right hand poised and ready. InuYasha had just begun to bring the katana down. Kagome, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kirara all felt a strong blast of energy envelope the area and a brief flash of light. When the light faded, they could only watch and wonder as both demons, never having reached the other, collapsed to the ground, unconscious.  
  
  
  
MUHAHAHAHAHA!!! I'm done part two. YEAH! Anyway please, please, please, please, please REVIEW! IF YOU DON'T I WILL BE FORCED TO USE MY BACK UP PLAN. I'LL CRY!!  
  
Kaze no Kizu – The Cutting Wind 


	3. Part 3

Disclaimer: You should know by now…  
  
Please ignore any spelling or other errors, as I was rushing slightly.  
  
Major spoilers!!! You have been warned.  
  
Mysteries Within the Shadows – Part 3  
  
Kagome and the others watched, fascinated, as both InuYasha and Sesshoumaru collapsed, never having even reached each other. A gentle breeze picked at Kagome's hair and the green skirt of her school uniform as she stepped forward uncertainly. Neither demon moved as the breeze ended. Then fear suddenly over-ridded her curiosity and she started to run forward.  
  
"InuYasha!" she called out, but her forward movement was stopped with a jolt by a hand on her arm.  
  
"But what if whatever has affected them will affect you too Kagome-chan?" protested Sango.  
  
"Well, we can't leave them here in any case. Who knows what demons may come by and try to take advantage of the situation?" Miroku vouched.  
  
"That's true but…"  
  
"I don't think it will affect us." Kagome stated somewhat confidently.  
  
Kagome walked briskly forward with a little hesitation. The closer she got to the brothers the more uncertain of things she became. Fear raced through her body as her heart picked up its pace, her chest started to rise and fall quickly as she reached her destination. With an uncertain glance backwards she found, to her relief, Miroku, Sango, Shippo and Kirara one step behind her. So she slowly knelt down beside InuYasha and placed a small hand on his shoulder. She almost sighed in relief when nothing happened. Her brow creased however, when she called his name several times but got no response.  
  
"What do you think happened?" Asked Sango as she stood beside Kagome.  
  
"I honestly don't know. But I felt some kind of energy before they collapsed." She stated, somewhat unnerved by the whole situation.  
  
"As did I," Miroku commented as he came up to the two girls. "I've never felt anything like it. But it didn't feel malicious to me. Did it to you Sango?"  
  
"No, and I can't say that I've felt if before either."  
  
The three stood contemplating the circumstances of this new plight. InuYasha wouldn't wake up, so they doubted that Sesshoumaru would either, plus no one really wanted to get close enough to try. Kagome looked warily at the Demon Lord's prostate form. His face was calm, relaxed, and actually almost peaceful. 'Humph,' she scoffed, 'Like that could ever happen. He probably dreams about killing things.' She was about to stand up when Miroku spoke.  
  
"What should we do, Kagome-sama?"  
  
"Ano…" She thought for a moment, then sighed heavily and stood up. "I really don't know."  
  
"Should we take InuYasha back to the village with us?" Sango wondered.  
  
"But what about Sesshoumaru?" Shippo asked from his new perch on Miroku's head.  
  
"We leave him of course." Responded the monk, who tried to look up at him. "It's not our responsibility to look out for his well being."  
  
"Speaking of which," Kagome started, looking around the perimeter of the small opening that they were in. "Where's Jaken?"  
  
As if on cue a loud double pitched wail emanated form the edge of the forest.  
  
"Sesshoumaru-sama!!!!"  
  
The entire group groaned as the brush parted and a figure emerged from the forest's shadow. Then another figure? They watched, stupefied as a cute little girl passed Jaken's running form and made a direct beeline to Sesshoumaru. She knelt next to his head, placing her hands on his shoulder, shook him and called his name. Kagome looked at the girl closely; for some reason the child looked very familiar. She had on a kimono with huge red and white checkers and had a small portion of her long dark hair in a little ponytail. Then it dawned on her.  
  
"I remember her!" Kagome half shouted in revelation, causing Miroku and Sango to jump in shock at her sudden outburst.  
  
"Remember the battle with Naraku after we had gone to fight the Hyakki Bats? Remember Sango? When you and Miroku were fighting some youkai to get to a cottage and Kohaku came out with a little girl?"  
  
Sango nodded and Kagome continues.  
  
"Well, this is the little girl. Apparently she travels with Sesshoumaru."  
  
"But I thought he hated humans." Miroku stated.  
  
"Yeah, I know but…"  
  
Kagome was abruptly interrupted when the little girl tugged on her hand to get her attention.  
  
"What's wrong with Sesshoumaru-sama? He won't wake up." She asked Kagome.  
  
Kagome looked at the little girl. She seemed to be handling the fact that her guardian had passed out okay so she decided to tell her the truth.  
  
"We don't really know, hun." She said kindly as she knelt down to the child's level.  
  
"Will he wake up soon?" She asked hopefully, causing Kagome to falter a little bit.  
  
"We don't know."  
  
"Oh…" Kagome watched, dismayed, as the little girl looked down at the ground in front of her. Kagome bit her lip, trying to decide what to do when Sango surprised her by kneeling down next to her and speaking to the girl.  
  
"Do you have a name?" she asked gently. The little girl sniffled a little and looked up and nodded.  
  
"It's Rin."  
  
"Well, Rin, would you like to come spend the night with us?" Miroku could only gawk as the little girl squealed in delight.  
  
"Really?" she asked excitedly. Sango nodded and the little girl sprung at her and hugged her.  
  
"Sango we cannot take her with us." The youkai hunter and the miko next to her looked up at the Houshi curiously.  
  
"Sesshoumaru obviously has some attachment to the girl and if he finds out that we took her who knows what he'll do. If he wakes up that is." He added the last part quietly enough so the girl didn't hear him.  
  
"Houshi-sama, I refuse to leave this little girl with that toad." Sango answered vehemently and jerked her head towards the direction of the reptile is question. Who was, at the moment sitting next to Sesshoumaru, eyeing the suspiciously.  
  
"And plus, even if Sesshoumaru is attached to the girl, that doesn't mean Jaken is." The huntress said looking pointedly at him. Miroku sighed in defeat. Arguing with her would get him nowhere and she did make a good point about not trusting Jaken. Kagome suddenly whispered something to Rin causing her to giggle and run toward where Shippo and Kirara where sitting. She watched as the Rin reached them and sat down next to Shippo to talk to him.  
  
"I hate to say it but I think we should take Sesshoumaru with us." Kagome said as she stood to face them. Sango and Miroku looked at her like she had lost her mind.  
  
"Kagome-chan," Sango started out slowly. "He would destroy the whole village if we took him with us."  
  
"Plus, how would we get all of us, including him and Rin, back to the village considering that we only have Kirara?" Miroku inquired.  
  
"Look, I know he's a jerk but he is taking care of a little human girl. There has to be some part of him that isn't entirely rotten. And a just keep getting this feeling…" Kagome let her sentence go uncompleted as she turned to look at the two demons again. "There is something strange about this whole thing. And I want to know what it is." She said quietly. Kagome kept getting this feeling, more like she was sensing something, but she couldn't tell what.  
  
"You are not taking Sesshoumaru-sama anywhere!" Jaken roared standing up is protest. Kagome smiled at him.  
  
"I'd pay to see you try and stop me." Kagome watched as the toad turned an amusing shade of purple. Rin waved at her and Kagome nodded in response. 'She and Shippo are pretty fast.'  
  
"You Wench!!" he had screamed and reached for the Staff of Heads. Only to find it not there.  
  
"Eh?!?!?!"  
  
Kagome smiled as Rin and Shippo brought the staff to her, Jaken just gawked and gave Rin a murderous look. She smiled back at him. In an instant, Kagome would have never guessed that Jaken could move that fast, he was over his lord and making backhanded Rin across the face. But before he could blink, Kagome hit him directly on the head, forcing his face into the dirt. There he lay motionless.  
  
"You little jerk!" Kagome yelled at his prone form.  
  
They were quiet for a while, processing what Kagome had said earlier. A breeze blew again, but this time a little stronger. 'A foreboding wind…' Miroku thought dismally. 'I don't like any of this and I think it's going to get worse.' He sighed again and was about to say something when a small alarm in the back of his mind started ringing. 'A youkai... It's close.' He looked to the girls to see them up and facing the direct of the approaching demon. A bush on the other end of the small clearing rustled loudly, silencing Rin and Shippo. Miroku's left hand automatically went to the prayer beads around his right arm. Sango stood posed with Hiraikotsu ready; Kagome beside her had her bow out and her right hand reaching for an arrow. Then, suddenly a short, round figure emerged from the bush.  
  
"Tanuki-san!" cried Kagome in relief as the raccoon-dog came into plain sight.  
  
Everyone sighed and disarmed.  
  
Kagome suddenly turned to Miroku and Sango, with a brilliant smile on her face.  
  
"And here," she said pointing at their friend, "is how we get everyone back."  
  
Miroku sigh yet again. 'Well, things seem to be working out so that we can so…'  
  
"Hachi! Come here a moment I need another favor." The tanuki groaned in mock distress and started to make is way to Miroku. Then the priest turned to speak to Kagome again.  
  
"This is against my better judgment you know." Kagome smiled radiantly.  
  
"Can we leave Jaken here?" Sango asked, poking the toad with her toe.  
  
  
  
Yeah!! I'm done Part 3. *Do a little happy dance* Hachi is the tanuki that helped Miroku get Kagome's Shikon shards in the first episode/manga that he appeared in.  
  
Tanuki – raccoon-dog  
  
Houshi – Buddhist priest  
  
Miko – Shinto priestess  
  
Youkai – demon  
  
-chan – a nick name between girl friends or children  
  
-sama – Lord or Lady  
  
Stay tuned for Part 4 – Fluffy's and Inu's dreams!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!!! Please people I need support! 


	4. Part 4 - Dreams and Awakening

Disclaimer:  Again, I don't own anyone. 

Sorry this took so long, I was trying to decide how to go about this but I've figured it out now.  

Thank you sssssooooooo much for the reviews, I love 'em!

Mysteries Within the Shadows:  Part IV – Dreams and Awakening.  (Oohhh, this one has a real title!)

                Sesshoumaru cracked his eyes open only to find them assaulted by a blindingly bright light.  He stubbornly opened them fully only to have to blink and wait for them to adjust to the brightness.  As it happened, Sesshoumaru had been staring almost directly at the sun, explaining the temporary blindness.  Slowly his other senses started to register in his fogged mind.  He was lying down, presumably in a field, as he could see grass out of the corner of his eyes.  But the ground was inclined, suggesting that he was on the slope of hill.  The grass swayed as a gentle breeze wafted across the area.  Sesshoumaru inhaled deeply and closed his eyes, a sense of nostalgia washing over him.  The air smelled of honeysuckles and lilies.  The scents of several herbs were also present, however they were less fragrant and Sesshoumaru couldn't remember their names.  

'It smells like the castle gardens.  Mother's garden…' Sesshoumaru sighed heavily. "Why am I here?" he ask the blue sky in a quiet voice.                 The breeze came again; only it carried something else along with it.  'Laughter?  Whose…' Sesshoumaru's eyes widened a fraction of an inch with realization and he sat up abruptly.  As he had thought, he sat on a hill near the edge of a forest.  He could make out the castle's outline through some mist to his right.  But down below him was the source of the laughter.                 A young woman sat on an embankment next to a bubbling creek of clear water.  Her long white hair was pulled back into a high ponytail.  But it was restrained further as the hair from the ponytail was trapped in a tight braid that brushed down her back and its tips grazed the ground.  She was wearing a pale green kimono with embroidered yellow flowers and a yellow sash to match, which also brought out her golden eyes.  Her skin was pale and flawless, but it was adorned with a mauve crescent moon on her forehead.  Sesshoumaru watched as she giggled again at the young boy standing before her.                  The boy, her son, couldn't have been very old, three or four at the most.  He wore a dark red kimono, which matched the red markings on his cheeks and forearms, and black pants underneath.  He possessed all of his mother's colorings; pale skin, white hair, golden eyes, and even the crescent moon on his forehead.  Upon closer inspection, through the grass Sesshoumaru could see the long, fluffy, white tail that had caused him hell for a good portion of his young life.  The boy had his hands cupped in front of him, with the small green head of a toad sticking though a hole in between his fingers.  He smiled at his mother, exhilarated that he had made her laugh.  The mother's laughter ended and she reached out to brush the back of her hand against her son's cheek. 

"You're right, Sesshoumaru.  He does look like Jaken."  She laughed again having said this and the boy laughed with her.  

                Sesshoumaru watched the pair detachedly.  _'Why?  Why am I watching the last time I…I saw her alive?'_  

"I'm going to go show it to Father!" the boy said happily as he turned away from his mother and started to run back to the castle.  

                Sesshoumaru watched his childhood self run through the tall grasses back toward the castle.  Once he disappeared into the mist, Sesshoumaru turned back to his mother.  She had closed her eyes and sighed as the breezed caressed her face.  She looked so peaceful, sitting there calmly among the flowers.  Something suddenly dawned on Sesshoumaru.  _'I wasn't here to see this.  This can't be a memory.  Then how?'_  He stood and pondered this among other things as he watched his mother sitting next to the creek, humming some song to herself.  They stayed as such for several minutes before Sesshoumaru senses started to scream at him.  What had started out as a subtle vibration in his senses that had been overlooked was now an overloading of his system that sent adrenaline shooting through his body as something moved toward them.  His mother below him sensed it as well as she stood and swung around, facing him.  Sesshoumaru did likewise, giving his back to her, although he had a suspicion that she couldn't see or hear him.  Sesshoumaru peered into the dark forest, making out a darker shape in the shadows.  It was large, and bulky, but he could discern any real features.

"You might as well come out!  I know your there!" his mother called out behind him.

A low chuckle emanated from the forest as the creature stepped forward.  _'No wonder.'_ Sesshoumaru mused as he looked at the emerging being.  It was covered from head to toe in a midnight black cloak, nothing was uncovered.  Sesshoumaru watched in fascination as the cloak shifted and moved, there was no breeze now, and the creature had not stirred.  It was moving on it's own.  _'A living darkness…'_

That was when he saw it; a murky haze at the corners of his vision.    

"Wha…" With this comprehension, the haze spread rapidly over his entire vision, and darkened.  Sesshoumaru felt himself fall backwards but could do nothing to stop it.  He tried to brace for what he felt would be an inevitable impact with the ground, but it never came.  He knew he was falling, he could feel the air rushing past him, catching his hair, whipping it across his face and over his shoulders. The scent of honeysuckles invaded his olfactory senses again and the soft song that his mother had been humming came to his mind.  The combination of the two worked almost as a sedative and calmed the adrenaline that was racing through his body.  Sesshoumaru felt his heart slow and his eyes drift shut.  He opened his eyes to see nothing but a dark void around him.  He was falling through it, or was it passing him by?  Sesshoumaru closed his eyes again; there was nothing to see.  There was only one thing he knew for certain, he had no idea what was going on.

*              *                *                *                *                *                *                *                *                *                *                *          *

                InuYasha watched the pair as they slowly walked through the woods together.  He sat high in an old, twisted and knotted tree, where he had woken up shortly before.  Some of the initial disorientation that he had experienced was still with him, but not enough to hinder his observation. The wind was almost howling around him, whipping his long white hair about him.  He folded him sensitive ears against his head, the air was chilly but the wind was like driving ice.  It was a very late winter storm, he knew.  The winter had been strangely mild, and spring had come early.  Even though it had seemed that the winter had lost to the warmer months, it still had a finger wrapped around the continent, and had sent this storm as if in defiance against the other seasons.  

                InuYasha almost had to close his amber eyes as the wind picked up and started to drive a blinding snow.  He tried to peer through the dense cover to locate the two he had been watching, only to be dismayed.  When he failed to discern their forms, InuYasha carefully weaved his way down the icy braches of the tree.  

                When he reached the bottom, he again attempted to find them.  InuYasha's eyes started to dart around frantically, searching.  He felt himself sigh in relief as he finally made out their faint outlines.  It was a woman and a young boy, her son.  They had been out earlier that morning, collecting the herbs and such that the mother had needed.  But the weather turned dangerously cold, and the sun had been dimmed by thick, brewing clouds.  As they had started back, the storm had broken.  And now they had to fight their way back to their small hut.  No one would come looking for them, realizing that they might be caught in the storm.  They didn't live in a village, but out in a lone, poor hut in the wilderness.  They only went to the village when they needed supplies that they couldn't find.  

The woman's husband had died two years before, leaving them at the mercy of his first-born son from his first marriage.  The boy's half brother hadn't thrown them out, but he had made it clear that he didn't want them there either.  So it seemed to those outside the family that they had left of their own violation.  So now they were on their own. And they very well could have frozen to death out in the storm.  But InuYasha knew that they wouldn't, he had seen this before.

                The young woman had tied her calf length, ebony hair at the nape of her neck, to keep it out of the way.  Her dark bangs clung limply to the pale skin of her forehead and slightly into her violet eyes.  InuYasha could see that her face was set in grim determination as she pushed her was through the rapidly building snowdrifts.  Her black and blue kimono hung heavily from her body, its hem and sleeves were crusted with ice. 

                The boy walked slowly behind her, his small hand clenching the back of her kimono tightly.  He had his head bowed against the driving winds, his waist length white hair bellowed out behind him, blending with the snow.  His red hakama and yukata, like his mother's kimono, was crusted with ice.

                InuYasha walked sluggishly behind his mother and himself, reminiscing and worrying.  He remembered how this story ended.  Before he knew it, he could see their small hut not far ahead of them.  He could see the relief on his mother's face as she saw it as well.  The old thing looked ready fall apart under the pressure of the wind and snow.  

                When they were no more than a hundred feet from the when a loud crashing emanated from within.  InuYasha watched as his mother as she heard the noise and stop in the snow.  He could only watch as she looked warily from the hut to glance behind her at her son.  She turned to face him, having made her decision, and knelt in the snow, in front of him.  From his vantage point, InuYasha could see her mouth move but strain as he might, could make out the words.  He didn't need to, he would remember them until he died; the last words from his mother.

"InuYasha.  I want you to go over to the cherry tree and climb up into it.  Stay there until I come get you."

The boy looked up at her questioningly, but her tone and face made it clear that there would be no argument.  It was the same look that she had when she told him that he had to be proud of what he was, and who his father had been, and even his brother.  Whenever she had that look on her face, she would never listen to anything contrary to what she was saying or believed.  So the boy InuYasha practically dragged himself over to the only cherry tree near their home, wondering what his mother was doing.

The Lady Airin, the wife of the late Demon Lord of the Western Lands, crept slowly to the entrance to the hut, probably silently praying that it had been the wind.  _'But it wasn't.'_ InuYasha said to himself silently.  He clenched his eyes shut.  She would go into the hut, and after a few minutes of waiting in the cold, InuYasha would hear her scream and he would run inside to find her dead.  As the icy winds whipped about him, InuYasha was filled with a sudden and deep desire to know.  To know exactly how she had died, and what she had gone through.  He forced his eyes open in the blinding snow and walked forward in pace with his mother.  She reached the opening to the hut and hesitated only slightly at the bamboo flap before she pushed it aside and stepped in.  InuYasha was right behind her, but when he moved to push the flap his hand passed through it.  InuYasha pulled his hand back and stared at it blankly.  _'I have no affect on this world but it does on me.'_ He realized as he glanced upwards at his damp and half frozen bangs.  InuYasha looked at the flap again and hesitantly pushed his hand through it again.  When he heard his mother move on the tatami mats on the other side, everything evaporated from his mind except getting to her as he stepped through the door. 

His eyes widened as he entered the dim hut.  His mother stood in the center of the room, as she was facing away from him, he couldn't see her expression.  But he could have imagined his own as his gaze shifted to the other side of the one room hut.  In the shadows, something moved and sifted, continually changing.  It was taller than him and it towered over his smaller mother.  She took a step back as it advanced toward her.  Despite the fact that he knew she would never hear or see him, InuYasha started forward yelling her name.

But as he lunged for her as darkness suddenly enveloped him and pulled him backwards, the image of his mother and her murder slowly faded as InuYasha continued to fall backwards. The air around him felt hot as it gently brushed against his skin, a stark contrast to the weather from his memory, or had it been a dream?  He had no real time to think on it as a searing pain sliced through his mind.  A strange feeling washed over him as the pain ebbed.  He wasn't falling anymore, he was lying somewhere, on something rather hard and uncomfortable.  Almost afraid of what he'd see, InuYasha cracked open eyes that he didn't remember closing.

*              *                *                *                *                *                *                *                *                *                *                *          *

Kagome almost wept for joy when InuYasha cracked his eyes open after almost twelve hours of unconsciousness.  Relief washed over her as she watched him open his eyes fully; they were a bit hazy but comprehension seemed to be dawning.  

"InuYasha?"  She said softly, leaning closer to him.

"Is he awake?"  Miroku asked from his position by the fire pit.

Kagome looked and him and nodded, smiling brilliantly.  She turned her face back to InuYasha to find him looking up at her questioningly.  She was about to speak to him when a new dilemma made itself know. 

"It seems that this one is waking up as well."  Keade voiced from her seat next to Sesshoumaru.

"You may wont to move away Keade."  Sango cautioned from where she sat petting Kirara.  "There's no telling how he will react to waking up in a strange place."

"I am not a wild animal that will lash out wildly."  Sesshoumaru winced when the words left his mouth sounding nothing like they should have.  His throat was dry and his voice hoarse for some reason.

"Could have fooled me." InuYasha taunted as he struggled to sit up, brushing off Kagome's attempts to help him do so.  Sesshoumaru rose to a setting position as well but with much more grace than InuYasha.  Keade, unmindful of any danger slowly rose from her position next to him and walked stiffly over to the fire pit to start a soup of their dinner. Ignoring the barb and the daggers being glared at him by his brother, Sesshoumaru turned his gazed to Kagome.

"Why did you bring me here?"

Kagome blinked at him for a moment, causing Sesshoumaru to wonder if the girl was stupider than he had originally thought.  Suddenly Kagome blinked, and started as if coming out of a trance.  She had been utterly shocked that Sesshoumaru had asked her a question.  She silently wondered if had been meant as an insult to InuYasha. 

"Well, after you both fell unconscious, Rin came running out of the woods and asked me if you were going to be alright.  We then decided that it wouldn't be safe to leave her with Jaken given the glares he was giving her.  And she probably wouldn't have come with us if we hadn't brought you."

Sesshoumaru looked at her for a moment, as if to judge whether she was telling the truth or not, then nodded his head and looked away.

"And I want answers." She stated bravely, glancing from the Hanyou beside her to the Demon Lord across from her.  Sesshoumaru turned his gaze back to her and lifted an eyebrow about a quarter of an inch.

"I want to know what happened in that field.  Something's going on and I want to know what."

"What are you talking about?" InuYasha spat at her.

"You," she said shoving a finger in his face and had to resist the urge to 'beep' his nose, "have been an absolute ass the past couple of days."

"And you," she said turning to glared at Sesshoumaru, she didn't dare point at him, God knows she probably wouldn't get her finger back.  "Rin tells me that you have been rather irritable and violent the past couple days as well."

"When is he not violent?" InuYasha demanded.  

"And when aren't you an ass?"

The situation would have deteriorated from there had a certain little girl, kitsune and toad not chosen that moment to rush through the tatami door.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!!!!" Rin cried happily as she threw herself at him and circled his neck with her arms.  Kagome would have paid five hundred dollars for a camera to get a picture of Sesshoumaru's face at that moment.  He was as startled as she had ever seen him, his golden eyes slightly wider then usual and locked on the small girl in his lap.  He collected himself quickly and set Rin away from his person.  He stood then and looked down at Kagome who was smiling slightly.

"If you want answers then ask the idiot on the floor.  We are leaving." He said coldly as he picked up his swords and armor off the floor.  The fact that they had had the audacity to remove them angered him, but the thought that they could have killed him at any time infuriated him. Rin looked up at him sadly as he started for the door.  As she and Jaken started to follow, Sesshoumaru halted at Kagome's voice.

"Sesshoumaru."  When he paused she continued. "I would really like your input on this." 

Sesshoumaru simply narrowed his eyes slightly and continued to the door.

"Sesshoumaru." She said again as he was about to step out the door.  He sighed heavily and turned his head slightly to look at her.

"Stay."

He was startled to look down and see something glowing around his neck.

*              *                *                *                *                *                *                *                *                *                *                *          *

The red light faded as its power source ebbed, the surrounding walls returning to their normal hues of grays.  The room was small, not much bigger that a closet.  All four walls were solid stone; no windows and one door that remained locked and shut.  It was only opened if _he_ came.  The room was shabbily adorned with a short, half rotted table and straw on the floor to substitute a bed.  At the center of the table set a large crystal, cut into the shape of a prism, on a wooden stand.  The red light that it had been radiating died completely as the figure next to the table collapsed to the cold stone floor with a clanking of metal.   It couldn't even have been considered a person when looked closely upon. Pale, waxen skin was stretched tight over bones and gaunt muscles; every rib could be counted.  The shackles that hung loose from fragile wrists and ankles looked too heavy for the creature to move.  It laid there completely motionless except for the heavy gasps of breathe that wracked it torso.  _'Soon…'_ it thought dismally, _'they will come soon.'_

MUHAHAHAHAH!!!!  I'm done part 4 woohoo!!!!!! J  Who is this mystery person at the end?  Will we ever know?  Well, I know, but you don't.  HAHA!  Ahh the perks of being an author.  Anyway, look forward to the next installment of As the World Turn, argh, no, wrong one.  Mysteries Within the Shadows.

Please REVIEW!!!!!  Flames will be scoffed at and put out with and extinguisher.  

-sama – Lord or Lady

hanyou – half demon/half human

youkai – demon

kitsune – fox spirit or demon


	5. Attention!!!

Attention!  
  
Apparently my stories are horrible, since no one reviews I just assume that it's so. So you people can sleep easier now with the knowledge that I will not write any more stories or continue the started ones.  
  
Later.  
  
Bishonen no Hime 


	6. Gomen Nasai

I….um…well…shit. (I don't cuss so this is a big thing.) I don't really know what to say. *hangs head in shame* Well, firstly I'd like to apologize. *Authoress promptly grovels* I am sooo sorry for that thing before, I was very upset at the time I wrote that, and not at the fanfiction or reviewers or readers or anything, this just happened to be what I vented out on. See, I have this problem with very low self-esteem and when someone says or does anything negative towards me it sends me into nasty depressions. And I go on these kicks were I am convinced I can't do anything right. Least to say I had a bad day at school. And yes I know, I shouldn't care what other people think or say but it really bothers me for some reason. And I am not doing this for the reviews. I know it sounded that way but I was upset. I just don't want to post something that people wont read, and considering all the advertising and stuff fanfiction.net has to put up, mine would just be wasting space. (If that was the case.) And yes I will try to finish this story.  
  
Oh, by the way, this was just a clever ploy to figure out who reads this and I expect you all to review again!!! NOT! Just kidding.  
  
The dialog sounds kinda forced, huh? How can I fix that? Any suggestions welcome.  
  
Ja na.  
  
Bishonen no Hime 


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